


Diamond Dust

by GintaxAlvissforever



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Child Abandonment, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Original Character(s), Poison Apples, Snow White Elements, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-06 18:11:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15891321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GintaxAlvissforever/pseuds/GintaxAlvissforever
Summary: [CH 4 SPOILERS] Therion finally dealt with his past demons and would finally be able to put his past behind him. Unfortunately, Therion wasn’t out of the woods yet. Those thieves claimed that no one was loyal to their boss besides the one slain in the desert. However, there was a small, clingy child that remained loyal to the boss and plans to make sure Therion’s life is forfeited before he returns the dragonstones…





	1. Mirror

**Author's Note:**

> This will be my first Octopath fic. I should be finishing my 20 other unfinished stories especially my Persona 5 one (the remaining chapters are being written out of order) but Octopath is current addiction while I take a break from Disgaea 5 grinding. Hopefully I can keep everyone in character.
> 
> Notes: The group travels together and the priority of who gets their stories done is based on how important their mission is. So the only stories technically completed are Ophelia and Cyrus. The story will begin at the end of Therion's chapter 4 but before Therion returns the final dragonstones. As a result, there are spoilers for Ophelia, Cyrus and Therion's ch 4 story.

The deed had been done. Therion had bested Darius in a duel and forced him to flee. There was no need to take his life when he knew that it would be near impossible for Darius to pick himself up after a terrible loss like that. Darius could complain about the odds being stacked against him but he saw himself as a superior fighter. He was quick and still did deadly blows. His plan to overwhelm Therion faltered because the white haired thief was not alone. The thief had companions. Companions that Therion wanted to leave behind very early on. He worked alone and having to be with others shook him to the core. Because of Darius, he believed that they would betrayal him at some point in time. Overtime, Therion started to learn to trust them to have his back. They weren't cruel. In fact, it was the exact opposite. The group came from different backgrounds and not a single one of them judged him for being the only criminal in the group.

It accumulated to this very moment. Therion wanted to do this alone and the group allowed him to fight Therion alone while they handled the reinforcements. They trusted Therion to do the job and Therion trusted them to make sure not a single one of Darius' lackeys came to aid him.

The one thing Therion wanted from Darius was the reason why he would go to such lengths to betray him if no one was going to celebrate the wealth with him. To say he wasn't disappointed with his answer was an understatement.

"You're so predictable Therion. I wanted to see the view from the top, and I would have stepped on anyone to get ahead. It was fine if no one believed in me…"

Oh how did Therion wanted to say, "But I believed in you." He kept his mouth shut and allowed Darius to keep on rambling.

"As long as I could keep on climbing, I didn't need anyone else!"

Therion could have climbed up with Darius if the older male didn't betray him. Back then, Therion would have done anything for Darius and Darius took advantage of that. Funny how it all came back to bite him in the ass.

"I'll be at the top…Me!"

And with that, Darius forced himself to get up and flee to fight another day. Therion didn't bother chasing after him. His friends wouldn't notice until the rest of the thieves were either killed or defeated. Therion decided what would be Darius' final fate. He allowed the man to live. The quiet thief would not become like his former partner and kill him for the sake of convenience. Darius could very well rise again and cause problems for him and his friends but Therion believed that the man would never be such a threat to him ever again.

"Farewell…partner…"

Therion didn't bother looking back at Darius' back. He had the emerald and gold dragonstones to retrieve. With them, his journey was pretty much done. He just needed to return to Ravus Manor and return them to its rightful owners. After that, he would be free from the Fool's Bangle and be able to do what he pleased.

The "and then what" question wasn't important now. He still needed to return to the group and tell them he finished up. From there, they would be able to rest up and travel back to the Clifflands. Surely, Cyrus would have a good path that would get them there the quickest.

Therion was so distracted with the dragonstones that he failed to notice another presence hiding in the shadows of the cathedral. He would soon come to regret not noticing later…

* * *

The odd group would soon depart from the cathedral leaving many dead thieves in their wake. Some of the members just beat them with an inch of their life. Others showed no mercy in comparison. It just depended on who was fighting the enemy. The dancer and the scholar had no problems getting rid of their enemy. The warrior cut the enemy down with ease but laid off on going to the extreme. Everyone else just knocked the thieves out to reflect on their crimes.

The shadow waited until the cathedral became still before coming into the light. Like the other thieves, this one had a black cloak as well. However, this one wasn't afraid to pull it down revealing a pale young boy underneath. He looked no older than ten years old. His hands were as white as snow as was his hair. Said hair color was unnatural with how most of his hair was white but there were a few patches of black hair left. The kid only had two things on him: a small knife meant for cutting fruits and an icy colored mirror. The boy trembled from the cold and from something else. He felt something was off even after the threat was gone. All he could do was go after his boss and see if he was okay.

The boy could only pray to the Gods that his boss made it out in one piece. Sadly, that was not the case. The boy didn't get far before he heard some gruff voices in the distance. The treasure room…that was where the voices of the boss and other thieves were coming from! The boy continued to stay out of sight as he listened in on the conversation. From the sound of things, Darius was not having a good day.

"You…traitors!" Darius could be heard screaming.

"Traitors? Hah! Tha' requires loyalty firs'. We're only 'ere for yer money."

"Exactly, Gareth th' only one who gave a damn about ye."

The child's body couldn't stop shaking. How could this happen? Why were these thieves turning on the boss? Didn't they owe him for what he's done for them?

There was so much the child wanted to do. Alas, he was that but a small boy. His body was frail. He was inexperienced in close-range combat. He didn't graduate in the class of thievery yet…and he probably wouldn't have Darius to teach him.

Darius' wound was serious. He could only watch as the men who were supposed to serve Darius grab all the money that Darius had gathered over the years and run off with it. They didn't even leave a leaf behind. All that was left in the treasure room was a broken man, dying alone with no loyalty. The child couldn't do anything. If he showed up now, he might make things worse. Darius had convinced himself that he could trust nobody…not even the child who looked up to him as an older brother figure.

The child accidentally made a noise. Darius must have heard it. The child held his breath hoping that Darius might recognize it was him…the one person left alive that remained by his side.

"Someone…help me…" Darius cried out.

If only the child knew the healing arts could he help Darius. If only the child had the right herbs in his possession could he save the boss, but alas…Northreach was a town that barely had anything once the thieves overran the place. If the child wanted medicine, he would have to venture out to the Woodlands and find the herbs in the forests…

Then again…he did have a few items stashed away in one of the old houses. The kid could have ran back to the house and came back to treat the wounds but the kid knew better. By the time he did that, Darius would no longer be of this world. The medicine the kid had also wasn't meant for healing the sick…

"Partner…please…"

The child bit his lip. In his last moments, Darius only thought of Therion, the man he betrayed. If anything, Darius got his just desserts. Therion spared him only for Darius to be betrayed and killed. And Therion wouldn't know. He and his crew had already left the cathedral and would be preparing to leave the area never to return.

Darius choked on his own blood. He wheezed in pain before his body slumped over unmoving. The child's eyes widened in horror as he finally stepped out of his hiding place again to see Darius' condition. Slowly, the child approached Darius and examined his body. He had lost too much blood and had died a slow, agonizing death. The kid's body trembled again but not from the despair of losing the only person who cared for him. Rage started to consume the child looking at his dead caretaker.

This wouldn't have had happened if you killed him! The child thought to himself. The child had witnessed the duel between the two. Darius fought with the intensity of a rat cornered by a cat. The cat only needed to swing his blade a few times before Darius was bested. The child wondered what was going on in Darius' mind when he had the duel.

Then again, Darius acted strange when he returned to the hideout. He wanted his men to put a wanted poster of this Therion person. He wanted the man to be brought to him dead or alive. His orders changed rather quickly when it became obvious that Therion had others to back him up and the thieves were only good in numbers. Against a group of powerful fighters, they were no match. Darius told the kid to just leave and never come back. If the child didn't know any better, Darius was trying to spare him from the worse to come.

It was Darius that told the child that when it came to stealth, the child was the absolute best. The child was able to hide from Therion who was apparently a better thief than the boss was. Either that or Therion didn't see him as a threat.

Regardless, the child was alone in the world. Darius was dead and the thieves that were still alive would move on and find another town to attack. The people were going to fight back against the criminals so they were better off going to a town with actual riches.

But what would the child do now? He was just an easy target for people to rob and kill him. He had no one to turn to. No one would want a dirty rat like him. He would surely die if he didn't figure out what to do with his life.

The child sat next to Darius' dead body. He kept a cool composure despite the corpse of someone he cared about being right next to him. The white haired child took out the mirror hidden underneath his cloak. He stared at the glass with dull eyes.

"Mirror mirror…tell me…what should I do now?" the child asked the mirror softly.

The child spoke with the mirror often when he was lost and didn't know what to do. People would turn to the child and assume he had gone mad. The child was fine with that. Only he could see what was beyond the looking glass.

As soon as the child asked the question, a demonic image appeared in the mirror. The face was blurred out but the child didn't mind. The fact the mirror was capable of giving him advice made him so happy.

 _ **Avenge Darius.**_  The mirror spoke.

The child gasped. "H-Huh? How? Why…Darius…"

The people who murdered your only family will leave and you will lose your chance. You must extract your revenge on the one that left Darius to die.

The mirror spoke of Therion. The child didn't understand. In the past, the mirror gave cryptic advice but it was just enough for the child to understand and follow through. This time, the mirror decided to be honest with him and give orders. The situation must have changed.

_**The dragonstones…they must not return to its original place. The mirror continued. If the murderer returns them to the people with the other stones, disaster will fall.** _

"I don't understand…"

_**Darius wanted the dragonstones to protect people. Darius wanted to protect you. The murderer will get others like you harmed if it is returned. You must stop him.** _

"But…how…I can't fight…I'm still not a full-fledged thief…I'm a…street rat…"

The mirror suddenly laughed bitterly. The white haired boy didn't like the sound one bit.

_**It won't be hard to get your revenge. Just do whatever I tell you to do and you'll have your revenge.** _

The boy still had many other questions. He wondered what would happen after he extracted revenge if he could even do what the mirror wanted. However, what other choice did he have? The thieves could return and kill him just because he was a waste of space. If that wasn't the case, he would freeze to death. And if he avoided the thieves and got out of the cold, he would soon starve. There weren't many choices left.

"O-Okay…but…just tell me what I need."

The mirror continued laughing. The boy's mind started to become foggy. He didn't understand exactly what was going on but his fears started to slip away with a hidden boldness emerging from his inner self.

_**Just leave everything to me. We're just going to need to feed into his weakness…and when all is said and done, he will be dead and the dragonstones will belong to you little one.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBC with 2687 words. Notes!
> 
> 1\. I headcanon that once Darius threw away Therion when he no longer needed him that he would find some other unfortunate child to take in and repeat the same thing except making sure that the child didn't doubt him. Having less time to manipulate the child did wonders as it prevents the poor kid from having second thoughts like Therion did. And the thieves don't think much of the child since the child's gonna die on his own without Darius.
> 
> 2\. I'm still surprised no one has done a fairytale motif yet. Then again, I'm probably crazy for thinking about Snow White when the apple motif comes to mind and the final area for Therion is in the snow region. There's going to be a lot of them in this story from the kid having a mirror to talk to and the way that the kid is going to kill Therion.
> 
> Hopefully that's not too bad.


	2. Forbidden Apple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is wondering why there was a sudden gap between the chapter updates, it was because work consumed me.

Northreach, a town hidden by snow in one of the coldest regions in Orsterra, overran with criminals and ruled by a notorious thief who had made a name for himself…that man had been eliminated and his henchmen fled the town after taking all the money stolen over the years.

All it took was a ragtag group of eight to travel to Northreach to end the era of criminals. One of the travelers had a connection with the leader of thieves. He had one simple mission: to retrieve the dragonstones that Darius had stolen and bring them back to their rightful owner.

At this point of time, the group of eight had formed a strong bond that was impossible to break. They all came from different backgrounds but were still able to work together and get along. They all agreed to help each other in their quest regardless of the dangers and implication. For a thief like Therion, he preferred to work alone…and yet, he allowed the others to help him. It was what allowed him to get this far in the first place…and he needed it in a place as cold as this.

After encountering Darius in Wellspring, the man made it clear that he wasn't going to let Therion out of his sight. It was common for the travelers to be marked by enemy organizations. Primrose already knew there might be assassins after her after she made a mark on the criminal organization she was pursuing. There were people who didn't want Ophelia to complete the pilgrimage and even when she finished, there were still followers loyal to the Savior who wanted her life to end to avenge him. At least Cyrus didn't have to worry about people going after him anymore given how he got rid of the two people who wanted him gone.

Therion was no exception but Darius went above and beyond to make sure the white haired thief didn't get to him. Sending his mooks to kill him was one thing. Putting up wanted posters of Therion in Northreach to prevent him from being treated fairly was another. It really put Therion's trust in his friends to the test.

Upon arriving in the tavern, it was pretty obvious that the travelers weren't going to get anything done unless Therion left them. Despite the others telling him not to go alone, of course Therion was stupid enough to do so. The group would get things done faster without him. Or Therion could handle Darius on his own and return to them later.

Even that didn't go well because Darius literally ordered his entire group of thieves to ambush him and bring him back to the hideout dead or alive. Therion was a strong fighter but he couldn't fight off a huge group. To make matters worse, his friends were too far away to help him and Therion had too much pride to call them for help.

If Heathcote didn't show up, Therion would probably have been at Darius' mercy in his hideout. Because of Heathcote, he was able to get Therion away from Darius' henchmen and gather the group in a small, abandoned house that those goons wouldn't think about searching. Therion got a bad lecture from Cyrus about going alone but he did worry them. He was too proud to apologize for making them worry. But not only did he worry his friends, he made Heathcote overexert himself. He wasn't young like they were so excessive movement would tire his bones. Therion knew he needed to hurry things along before the grunts realized where he was.

But Therion still needed to do his part alone with sneaking everyone in. Getting eight different cloaks was no easy feat. It required luring the bandit away from everyone and beating him up, leaving him cold and defenseless. Therion even attacked one of the many captains and was rewarded with a rather comical scene when he was able to infiltrate with everyone.

From there, the group was able to go through the hideout without much trouble. However, when it came to the final room, Therion requested the group to let him handle Darius on his own. Compared to the monsters they have faced, Darius was still human and a duel was possible to win without an entire party to back him up. His friends just needed to stop the reinforcements from assisting Darius.

The reason Therion was confident in taking on his former friend alone was because he understood how Darius fight. From everything that had happened, Therion could conclude that his former friend never changed. He was still adamant about powerful hits. Accuracy of an attack didn't matter because one hit would be fatal. Therion was always the quicker of the two. No matter how powerful one was, if they couldn't land a fatal blow, it was pointless.

Therion wasn't aiming to kill Darius so the man's taunts didn't matter. All he needed was one fatal blow to the stomach to prevent the redhead from going far but not fatal enough to kill. His former friend would be able to patch himself up. Letting the man live would teach him a lesson.

The young thief couldn't help but laugh bitterly to himself hearing his former partner run off with his tail in between his legs. Even if his friends were in his way, there were multiple escape routes in the hideout. Slipping by them would be easy. It was fine though. Darius wouldn't be a problem for them anymore. If he tried to hurt his friends, Therion wouldn't go easy on him.

With the dragonstones in hand, he finally left the cathedral. The rest of the bandits fled like the pack rats they were. Of course Alfyn had to be the first one to rush up to Therion to see if he suffered any injuries.

"It's just a scratch. I'll be fine," Therion insisted. However, he knew better than to argue with the apothecary on issues like this.

"Let me see your arm, Therion," Alfyn told him without hearing a thing he said.

"Can it not be in here?"

The cathedral was a bad place to stay. Even if the enemies were gone, it made him feel uneasy. Fortunately, Primrose was with him on this topic. It meant he wouldn't have to talk to Alfyn that much and be able to leave without any questions until a few hours later. By then, Therion could potentially talk his way out of the conversation.

So while the apothecary wasn't going to take care of him in the cathedral per say, he still made Therion show him his arm to see how serious the injury was. To his relief, it wasn't as bad as the thief thought it was. In the end, Darius failed to inflict an everlasting wound. Alfyn didn't have to patch it immediately but it still needed to be treated to avoid an infection. In this cold weather, it was even more important to treat it in a warmer area. The inn would be a good place.

Getting out of the cathedral proved easy without anyone to stop them. Once they made it back into town things became weird. The switcheroo happened the moment the criminals retreated underground. Because the group made a loud first appearance, they would be recognized once they left the bandit hideout. Therion wanted to hide away from random civilians who had already grown used to Alfyn and Ophelia (and Therion wasn't surprised in the slightest).

At this point of time, Therion should have been used to the attention the group got…but this time…it was different. Because Therion was the one who Darius targeted…because he was the one that personally dealt with Darius, the attitude of the civilians changed. Some gave strange looks while others approached the group and thanked them for their deeds. Therion found himself hiding behind Alfyn because he didn't want any attention. Alfyn and Ophelia were the people who were insisting that they just wanted to help. It wouldn't be long until the entire town was congratulating them for getting rid of 'Lord' Darius and his men. Therion assumed if Darius made it out of the cathedral with those injuries, the people would no longer fear him and treat him like the criminal he clearly was.

Because of the everlasting praise the group got the closer they got to the tavern, Cyrus suggested that they split up for now. They would return to the inn when the sun set (Therion thought this was funny seeing as how it was always night in this town). They still needed to be on alert in case Darius' men were still lurking in the darkness waiting to strike.

Tressa wasted no time trying to make a buck. Because the merchants were always victims in the town, it would be a good idea for her to start stocking up on supplies while finding good bargains. Alfyn accompanied her while deciding to look around town to see if anyone was sick or injured. Therion made a mental note that it didn't matter if the citizens treated them badly, he would help them in a heartbeat. That was the type of guy he was…and it was annoying to say the least.

Ophelia wanted to help the citizens as well. Primrose and Olberic both accompanied her. Ophelia was kind-hearted and naïve and if she wasn't protected, she would be taken advantage of. It already happened before in Wispermill so they needed to make sure history didn't repeat itself.

Cyrus would retire to the inn faster than anyone else but before then, he would look around the town. H'annit wandered around with the intention of keeping an eye on Cyrus to make sure he didn't make himself an easy target.

Everyone was paired up in groups except Therion, but the thief would be fine. He would speak to Heathcote, ask him a few questions and then retreat from civilization. It might even be a good idea to just give him the dragonstones but he needed proof that he did the deed. A part of Therion also wanted to ask the elderly butler if it would be better to join the group instead of going on ahead. Those bones surely weren't doing him any good.

Alas, Heathcote had already left for Boulderfall after checking up on him. The old man still had it in him to travel to the snowy region and back to the Clifflands like a good butler. He'd probably tell Cordelia that he was returning with the remaining two dragonstones. She should consider removing the Fool's Bangle at this point. And once the bangle was off, his journey was over and he could do what he pleased.

Still…without Heathcote to check up on, Therion was left with little to do. The last thing he wanted was to interact with anyone in Northreach. The wanted posters were bad enough but with enough convincing, Alfyn and Tressa had managed to get people to pull them down. Therion didn't want to be treated as the savior of the town. He just came in to settle the score with an old friend, take the two dragonstones and leave. He didn't care if he freed a town from the hellhole that Darius put them through.

He told himself this but his cheeks always turned a bright shade of pink whenever people acknowledged his presence and thanked him in droves (he blamed the cold of course). Therion…was not used to this sort of thing. He was a criminal after all. They could shower him with praise and they wouldn't even realize he just robbed them while speaking with him.

Despite how easy it was to rob people, Therion just wanted to be left alone until the group gathered at the inn and decided how they would travel tomorrow. Therion knew it wouldn't take long to go down the mountain. Going up was hell but going down was easy. Therion suspected that Cyrus would suggest they stop at Stillsnow to rest up before heading out of the Frostlands. The thief just wanted to finish his job but of course scholar preferred a safer travel over quick travel! Why couldn't they just take advantage of the fact they had learned to travel efficiently over time? It just felt like a waste of time for the thief.

Once it became obvious that Therion wasn't going to get some privacy in the tavern (men continued to stare at him even after everything was cleared up), the white haired thief forced himself to find something to do. In a town as frigid as this, there was hardly anything he could do, but one thing Therion noticed was the moment the thieves left, the town became livelier. People came out of their houses to celebrate. Families started to allow their kids to play in the snow. More importantly, the merchants that had hidden themselves were back in business. Some tried to get the early (or late) start and set up stands. Therion really wondered if the merchants were crazy prepared. It was a matter of time before the criminals of the town left but some of these merchant went over the top. If the group stayed longer than needed, Therion could expect Tressa to follow suit.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to take a look around on what the few merchants were selling in the cold. Therion did his best to hide himself within the crowd while looking around. As long as he put his head down, he wouldn't be recognized. Not as the person that Darius hunted down or the "savior" that some citizens were putting him as.

Even if news spread that the town was finally free from "Lord" Darius, many people still hid in their homes or at least the children and elderly did. The cold wouldn't do any good for them, so it was just the adults celebrating in the streets and the few merchants tried to take advantage of this. Granted, they just lost their goods upon setting foot in Northreach so it wasn't that much of a surprise.

Therion's eyes caught the sight of something that was out of place in the streets. A small child was outside in the cold also trying to take advantage of the situation. Granted, he was rather successful in terms of giving out food (apples mind you) but he wasn't getting any cash in return. A part of Therion felt like the kid was just too happy that the thieves were gone that he would give fruit to anyone he saw.

 _Just like that idiot._  Therion grumbled to himself. Alfyn already demonstrated this and it was why he was always poor. A child doing this now wouldn't benefit him in the long run. He needed to set him straight.

"Hey, kid, the point of selling apples is that you got to get money in return."

The kid flinched hearing Therion's voice, but it was the thief who froze up when the boy looked up at him. Those wide eyes…reminded him of someone…

"I-It's okay!" the young boy shrieked. "I have plenty to go around…I won't…go poor…"

Because of how much Therion hung around Alfyn, he disagreed with the kid's statement. A master thief like him could take a quick glimpse at the pockets and notice the lack of leaves in them. There wouldn't be loose change either. The kid lacked the attire needed to survive the winter but he "oh so had enough apples to go around".

"You'll drop dead in the streets if you're not careful."

Therion believed that a street urchin understood the consequences of giving stuff out for free. If he was alone or needed to support, it was one less day in the human world and a day closer to death.

"I know, but this is a special occasion!" The boy exclaimed. "The bad guys are gone! We're free!"

The criminals might no longer have power but they could still make life miserable for the unfortunate.

"Just because those thieves don't rule the streets does not mean that you're in the clear," Therion reminded the boy. "Merchants will be protected but you don't look like you're in a state to be passing out free food."

If the kid was giving out apples, Therion might find himself taking one…or two…or half the basket. This kid seemed the gullible type…

The boy shook his head adamantly. "I'm okay. I have plenty of apples to spare." His smile widened rather creepily. "In fact, I have an apple for you too, mister."

The boy shuffled through his fruit basket and grabbed a shiny apple just for Therion. Immediately, Therion's apple senses tingled. He could use an apple after putting his partnership with Darius to rest. However...

"Pass," Therion said quickly. The boy immediately frowned at the rejection. "Can't take your income."

"It's not a problem, mister," the boy said shyly. "I can just make more now that the bad guys are gone."

The boy continued to offer the apple in his hand. It was funny how Therion usually had no problem taking free stuff from others. This was a peasant boy who needed to keep his metabolism up if he had hopes of surviving in this chilling climate.

"You sure that's possible in this climate?" Therion asked wearingly.

The boy nodded his head. "These are special apples. They can survive during the cold as long as you remember to pad out the soil every day. They grow faster in a colder environment, so it's not a big deal."

The kid sounded convincing enough. Snow apples were indeed a thing. Therion just never got a chance to get one. These apples were very hard to grow and the ones that managed to bloomwere used for decoration or were put into food exclusive to the Frostlands. Being a thief meant it was near impossible to even get close. In the past, Darius made it clear that he should only steal stuff that could either be sold off at a high price or something that was worth something. Food wasn't as important as booze and stealing basic food from fruit stands wasn't good enough. In retrospect, Therion could see that Darius thought so highly of himself that he wouldn't go for what was considered "commoner" food if it meant being seen eating right next to someone who looked the part.

Now, that he didn't have to deal with Darius anymore, Therion could finally taste one of the snow apples freshly picked from one of the trees in Northreach. If only he wasn't so tired, he would have searched the place for these rare apples before leaving. There was no reason to return to Northreach…

"Umm…am I bothering you, mister?" the child asked. Therion made the mistake to look him in the eye. The boy constantly blinked as if trying to stop himself from shedding a tear. The sniffles didn't help either. "If you don't want any apples, I will understand. I-I will…"

"Don't cry, kid," Therion groaned. "I'll take one of your apples if you'll stop looking so pitiful."

Therion was too nice to kids. The child cheered as he grabbed an apple from the side of the basket. Why he couldn't grab from the top of the basket, the thief wouldn't know (or care). He accepted the present from the snow child.

"Thanks…I guess…"

"Won't you taste it?"

"Not really hungry right now."

Therion rolled his eyes seeing the kid stare at him with huge expectations. Honestly, he could pretend to like the apple and then throw it away later…but apples were hard to come by in the snowy regions. If this kid was able to grow a few like he claimed, who was he to judge?

Yet, Therion couldn't help but shake something was off about the apples. The thief always believed his superstition no matter how small it was…but that was the old him. His old paranoid self would not have accepted something for free. However, he wanted to prove a point to Darius. He needed to open his heart up to others. It would be a slow step but Therion believed that in due time, he wouldn't doubt anybody who did something as much as greet him with a smile on his face.

"Are you sure you're alright with having a stranger take something without pay?" Therion asked aloofly. "I don't like owing other people favors."

The boy shook his head. "Not at all. You and your friends saved us. It's the best I can do for you."

Therion sighed in defeat. It was just a thank you gift after all. It wouldn't hurt to just taste the apple. The boy stared at the older male in anticipation. Eyes glittering like snow, he watched as Therion took a bite into the apple.

As quickly as Therion took a bite from his apple did he suddenly fall down face first into the snow. The apple rolled a few feet away from Therion. The child smiled sinisterly seeing the thief collapse in front of him.

_**Only the first part is done, child. Leave the scene and leave the rest to me. We will need to make sure he stays like this.** _

The boy didn't think twice. He looked around the area to see if anyone was nearby. His luck allowed him to not have people nearby and witness the exact moment of the poisoning.

"Is he dead?"

_**Not yet, dear Ivan. Give it time and he will be. We want him to suffer first.** _

The child wasn't so sure about that. Why make him suffer when Darius would prefer the deed be done? Regardless, the boy needed to flee the scene before someone noticed him. Clinging to the fruit basket tightly, Ivan hurried along before someone noticed him.

* * *

H'annit paced around Northreach with an objective in mind. Darius might have been defeated and the thieves retreated to live another day, but that didn't mean her companions were safe. On the contrary, while the people were celebrating their liberation, the thieves could counterattack at any time. It was why she decided to look after Cyrus while also patrolling the area. Cyrus had demonstrated time and time again that he didn't watch his back that well. He might have noticed suspicious people stalking him in the past but that didn't mean much when they ended up getting the upper hand on him. This place was ideal for ambushes and she wouldn't allow that to happen.

With Linde by her side, she finished patrolling rather quickly. Now, she could head back to the inn and wait for the others to return.

While walking through the snow, Linde whiffed something in the air. She suddenly glowered before stopping in her tracks.

"Linde?"

H'annit had a good idea what her companion was upset about. Instead of responding what was troubling her, Linde suddenly rushed off into one of the many alleyways. She swore she already checked there but maybe something changed in an hour.

Linde let out a surprised howl before a small whine. H'annit rushed over to her companion's side and saw a figure in the snow. She recognized the person immediately.

"Is yond, thee…Therion?"

Therion didn't respond. The huntress hurried over to her comrade. Slowly, she bent down wondering if he just fainted. Yet Linde quickly confirmed that something was indeed wrong with Therion. She placed her fingers to his neck first. He still had a pulse. H'annit could also hear Therion was breathing. Slowly, she tried to lift him up the ground without hurting him in the process. The huntress assumed Therion was lighter than the average male and, as such, had no problem lifting him up. Immediately, she realized that Therion's body was the same temperature as the Frostlands if not colder.

"Linde, we might not maketh haste," she told her animal companion sternly. This was not a normal condition whatsoever. She could make assumptions on what might have happened but Therion needed his body to warm up this instant. She also needed to find Alfyn. "Findeth Alfyn immediately."

Linde did not need to be told twice. The apothecary must have been treating anyone he could find in Northreach. The snow leopard picked up Alfyn's scent in the air and sped off to wherever he may be. Meanwhile, H'annit prepared to carry Therion back to the inn. She couldn't take off her fur coat if it meant placing the thief down just to remove it, so she prepared to move. Before she turned toward the direction of the inn, she noticed an apple bitten into on the ground where Therion was. Seeing how nobody was in the area and nothing else out of place, it might serve as a clue to Therion's condition. Cyrus and Alfyn could look into the apple just to make sure.

She carefully bent down to pick up the apple while making sure that Therion wouldn't fall out of her grasp and carried it with her along with the unconscious thief back to the inn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBC with 4861 words. Notes!
> 
> 1\. I wrote how Ophelia and Cyrus have their paths finished and they continue to travel with the group. I have a good reason for this. It concerns the group slowly realizing there is a bigger power at work. Ophelia has the priority of everyone given she is on her pilgrimage (and no one in the group would argue to go elsewhere because it's Ophelia). Cyrus is the one who pretty much decides the destinations while asking the others on their input. As a result, he pretty much got two birds in one stone in Stoneguard where H'annit knows to go north and Cyrus can also go to Dusk Barrow.
> 
> So it's safe to say that in chapter 2/3, because two characters can be in the town doing stuff at the same time, the group gets multiple things done and split into two groups. They then come together at the end of the day. There are a few exceptions obviously because the group might need more than just three others to back them up.
> 
> 2\. Because Cyrus delayed a lot of the progress after his story (to the annoyance of the group as a whole), he was able to get a good idea on where to go next. For example, because of his deciphering at the end of his arc, he knows how important the dragonstones are and prioritizes that while they are in the north. He also starts planning to head to Riverford where Oberic needs to go because the fall of Oberic's kingdom stems from the door mentioned in his research pertaining to that. Once that's done, it would make sense to help H'annit out while in the Sunlands. Alfyn and Tressa don't have a lot of priority in this case simply because of the lesser importance of the overall plot. However, both wouldn't have an issue with not being prioritized as the others in the group have way more at stake.
> 
> 3\. The poison used is slightly different from the one Alf used on his chapter 2 boss. It's not a poison for one and two, this sleep drug that induces nightmares is combined with a deadly poison resulting in a poison coma similar to Snow White.
> 
> 4\. Everyone be using that Shakespearean and/or Old English to write H'annit. We ain't experts so I'm literally using that for her dialogue. Don't bother trying to correct it since I don't understand where to slap ' or when to switch something to "th" or "ye".

**Author's Note:**

> TBC with 2687 words. Notes!
> 
> 1\. I headcanon that once Darius threw away Therion when he no longer needed him that he would find some other unfortunate child to take in and repeat the same thing except making sure that the child didn't doubt him. Having less time to manipulate the child did wonders as it prevents the poor kid from having second thoughts like Therion did. And the thieves don't think much of the child since the child's gonna die on his own without Darius.
> 
> 2\. I'm still surprised no one has done a fairytale motif yet. Then again, I'm probably crazy for thinking about Snow White when the apple motif comes to mind and the final area for Therion is in the snow region. There's going to be a lot of them in this story from the kid having a mirror to talk to and the way that the kid is going to kill Therion.
> 
> Hopefully that's not too bad.


End file.
